The Cat's Meow
by DragonKirby
Summary: Kaidoh has always had a soft spot for cats. When he finds one running from a dog, he saves it. It follows him, and he hides it in his room. However, one night, this kitten reveals a secret. Rated M for future chapters. KaidohJirou. AU
1. Meet

_I bet you people are sick and tired of us and our crazy pairings, huh? Too bad._

_So Kaidoh and Jirou. See, one day me and Kirby had this long discussion/crack RP where we were figuring that Jirou acts a lot like a kitten and would make a cute cat-boy. (Ootori wins first place in this regard, though.) So we proceeded to RP this, and Kaidoh picked him up while he was a kitten and sweet cuddles commenced. Thus this insane pairing came about._

_Oh yes, this is also going to be a CHAPTERFIC! I thought it would be a fun exercise, and a way to draw out our RPs when everything else has run dry - can't think of an idea for a oneshot, do a chapter of this. XD_

_Boldy boldness is Kirbs's doing. Nooooot mine._

* * *

Left, right, through the trees. A terrified and wounded kitten with peach-colored fur darted out onto the road. The dog, the dog was right behind him—it would catch up. Already he could see the jaws closing over his body, crushing bones... he let out a sharp meow at the thought and forced himself to go faster, despite a bleeding leg.

**It was Kaidoh's day off and he was running as always, taking a different route to cover the minimum amount of miles required. The regular passed by the massive Hyotei campus without so much as a glance to the side. He stopped running when he heard the rustle, then noticed a strawberry blur shoot in front of him, followed by a rather large dog. It had a collar, and it had definitely broken free. **

**Immediately, he bolted after and tackled the beast, restraining him in order to let the kitten get to safety. At the same time, his arms were badly bitten and scratched, but he paid it no mind until a panicked civilian saw his struggle and called animal control.**

The kitten halted and looked back. That human had saved him. He watched him struggle to his feet through claw and teeth marks, wincing. _That should have been me_, thought the kitten, and he padded back to the boy, meowing softly. His code of chivalry wouldn't let him simply walk away without at least saying thank you.

**Animal control finally arrived to relieve the poor boy of the vicious animal and advised him to go to the hospital to make sure his wounds didn't get infected. Kaidoh bowed to them gratefully and exhaustedly before turning back to start heading in the hospital's direction. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed the little patch of color that had flown so rapidly before him just moments ago, quickly interested when he saw that it was a small animal—a kitten, no less. Kaidoh knelt down, checking the baby carefully for injury. "Ah, your leg—are you okay?" he asked tenderly.**

_I don't think so_, he thought, licking at it intently. He nudged up against the boy's fingers by way of a thank you, nosing one of the scratches.

**He winced lightly and petted his head. "I'll be okay, I'm going to the hospital now... I think I should probably take you to the vet too, huh?" He made a gentle offer to pick him up.**

The kitten warily crawled into his hands, wondering what on earth a 'vet' could be. It didn't sound too pleasant. However, he would just have to trust this person. _I wish I knew his name_, he thought wistfully.

**Kaidoh held him carefully but securely in his strong arms, avoiding contact with the injured limb. It felt so incredible to hold a kitten; he wanted very much to have his own, but he knew his allergic mother would never allow it. Not even one as irresistibly cute as this one. Kaidoh almost felt his cheeks get warm as he remembered his focus and moved onward. "The vet will make you feel better."**

It appeared that Kaidoh was one of the people who liked talking to animals. The kitten settled back on his haunches, unconvinced nonetheless. Still... this person was so sweet, caring for him... he couldn't help but start purring.

**Kaidoh bit his lip and continued on. He dropped the animal off at the vet's office, relieved when the doctor gave him assurance that his furry friend would be okay, then reluctantly parted to get his own wounds checked on. It was probably someone else's cat anyway, he told himself. He knew he couldn't get to attached to something he couldn't have.**

He watched the boy walk away with sad eyes, meowing at his back. The door closed and the kitten resigned himself to his fate, whatever it may be. He was given a small bandage around his leg and put on a soft blanket to sleep. He woke up the next day—the human had not returned. Sadly, he ate and lay back down.

Around a week later, the kitten was healed, but he wasn't allowed to go. He protested in his own kitten way, meowing loudly. He caught sight of the same boy passing the door of the vet's office and, when the cage was opened to put him in a carrier, he bolted away and through the open door. It closed, and he hid. He had lost sight of the human and desolately looked for him day after day.

**Kaidoh had resumed his training like nothing had happened, minus the bandages on his arms, though he did think about the kitten occasionally, and how he was doing. He kept them on for about a week to ensure the closure of each mark. Every day, he took the same route, working as hard as he always did.**

The kitten slunk back to where he had found the boy first, the site of the attack. It had been nearly two weeks, now. Loud, rhythmic pounding sounded in his ears, which twitched. Curious, he looked up, trying to locate the source of the noise. Come to think of it, it sounded like someone running... No, the kitten told himself, the odds were just too high.

**But, in fact, the Seigaku regular WAS running in the kitten's direction. He suddenly noted the familiar peach color up ahead and slowed his pace. Was the kitten waiting for him? A whole week for him to come back? Kaidoh approached nervously, kneeling down. "You're still here, little one? Don't you have a home?"**

The kitten meowed happily and excitedly, gently batting Kaidoh's fingers (the only part of him he could reach) and rubbing up against his leg with an ecstatic purr.

**He chewed his lip and tried not to get excited. "Your leg seems to be healed now... don't you have a home? Or are you hoping that I can take you home with me?"**

He leaped up in Kaidoh's lap, stretching his front legs up and placing them on the boy's abdomen, kneading softly. He purred his assent—yes, he very much wanted to be taken home by this wonderful and kind person.

**His cheeks almost reddened. "I'd really like to take you home, but—no, I can't... my mom is allergic to cats, I'm sorry..." he reluctantly tried to inch the kitten off. Those sweet brown eyes glittering up at him were unbearable, almost immobilizing his body.**

He continued to stare up at the boy with pleading eyes, nuzzling his head against Kaidoh's chest and purring. _Please, please, please?_

**The viper hissed softly, looking around anxiously before finally picking the kitten up in his arms. "But you have to stay in my room—if my mom ever finds out, we'll both be out on the streets, understand?"**

The kitten meowed in understanding, excitedly rubbing his back and head against Kaidoh's chest.

**Kaidoh smiled and picked the kitten up into his arms, relishing in the familiar softness. He finished his route with a slow pace to keep from jostling his new guest until he reached his house again. Carefully, he kept the kitten under his shirt and stepped in cautiously, constantly checking around him for any sign of a relative. Finally, he made it to his room and shut the door quickly. He set the kitten down to let him get adjusted.**

Shaking out his fur from the ride, the kitten eyed the room curiously, letting out a soft and questioning mew. He sniffed everything he could—it all smelled like him. He purred contently, clawing his way up onto the bed and settling himself into a comfortable fold in the blankets.

**Kaidoh smiled and knelt down by the bed to scratch the kitten's ears. "I don't know what I'm going to feed you... and I'm going to have to get you a box... and—ah, you don't have a name, do you?"**

_Yes I do_, he wanted to say, but he knew it was dangerous to try it. Instead, he curled up and purred contently. Bathroom and food wouldn't be a problem—not with his abilities.

**He smiled again. Noting the peachy color of his fur, the viper was a little tempted to name him Momo, but immediately kicked the idea out. He would never forgive himself if the kitten liked the name. "I could name you Inui, then..." he shook his head quickly to that suggestion too. Who knows what Inui would do if he found out.**

The kitten flicked his tail. _Nothing to do with dogs_, thank you, he sniped, though he couldn't really blame the human for not knowing his name. _Never mind me, what is yours?_ he wondered.

"**I think I'll just call you 'kitten' for now," he sighed, sadly unable to come up with a cute name. He pet down the animal's back, leaning up to kiss his small, damp nose.**

He sneezed once, pawing his face irritably. The kitten stretched up and lightly licked his face.

**Kaidoh couldn't help but smile. "Sorry... I'll think of a name... I don't guess it matters, but I'm Kaoru." He resumed scratching the fuzzy ear.**

_Kaoru_, he murmured to himself. _I like it_. He purred cutely and promptly fell asleep, exhausted by the day's events.

**The viper nuzzled it gently and let him sleep. When he heard his parents leave for work, he decided to take the opportunity to get food and litter. Kaidoh took the money he had been saving for new tennis shoes without a second thought and left for just a moment.**

* * *

**That evening, Kaidoh returned with a few bags, glad to see the kitten hadn't caused any trouble and had practically slept the entire day. He shut the door and started to get everything set up for his new roommate. The boy hoped his guest would like it.**

The kitten rolled over, nose twitching at the smell of food. He shook the sleep off, hard as that was, and hopped off the bed, stumbling drunkenly over to the kibble. He blinked and glanced up at the tall boy, a small inquiring sound coming from his mouth.

"**...The man at the pet store said this kind would help you grow healthy and strong," Kaidoh said assuringly, a small smile on his lips. "I've never had a cat before, so I don't know what they prefer best. Will you at least try it?"**

Obligingly, the kitten sniffed the food and tasted it. The pieces were small, and very good. Feeling hungrier than he ever had been in his life, he ravenously ate, attempting not to make a mess and not entirely succeeding.

**Kaidoh was pleased that he had made the right choice of food. "I also got you some toys, if you want to play after supper."**

The kitten licked his lips, not really interested in anything but another good long sleep. He hopped up on the bed and eyed the clock—there was a nine and two zeros following after it. He wasn't sure what that meant, but all he knew was that he was tired again.

**He put the bag in a drawer and cleaned up the small mess. "I need to take my shower now, I promise I'll be right back," he said, wondering if the kitten needed a bath too. Then again, it looked awfully tired, so he decided against it for the evening, taking some clean clothes with him into the bathroom.**

The kitten spared long enough to use the litter box before clawing his way into the bed again, curling up. The sound of water made him a bit jumpy, though he knew it wasn't near enough to hurt him.

**Kaidoh finally returned, tossing the dirty clothes in the hamper. He smiled and got comfortable in the bed as well, gently petting the peach-colored kitten to ease its worries.**

Sleepily, the kitten dragged itself onto his still-warm chest, nestled against the beating heart. His body rose and fell with Kaidoh's breath and he purred in unison with it.

**Very early the next morning, Kaidoh's internal clock was forcing him to wake up. He could hardly get his eyes open. He felt something much heavier than a kitten lying on top of him, but not really heavy enough to be a burden. "Mmnh... Inui-sempai?" he asked tiredly.**

The kitten's ears twitched at Kaidoh's voice, and he woke. He stretched his arms and yawned widely, blinking his eyes open. Something felt wrong, and as soon as he looked down at himself, he figured it out. There was no fur on his body, and he was just a bit shorter than Kaidoh himself.

His brown human eyes widened. "Oh crap," he whispered to himself. He had relaxed too much, and now his other self was out in the open. He made a sharp meowing sound of surprise, roughened and deepened by the human voice box.

**Kaidoh grunted and started to lean on his elbows, feeling a body similar to his rising with his chest. He fluttered his eyes open and saw, not Inui, but a smaller, strawberry-blonde boy with the same beautiful eyes as his kitten. Kaidoh shot awake and nearly screamed.**

_We've already started to plan out the second chapter, but I wanted to post this first before we started to make everyone wait. Yay for being evil! _


	2. Kittenboy

_Second chapter go! :3_

* * *

He twitched his ears frantically, clapping a hand over Kaidoh's mouth quickly to keep him from making a sound. "Please, don't freak out," he whispered urgently, tail a thrashing blur. "I can explain." **The viper's wide eyes stared at him with fright, anxious to hear the explanation of how his kitten of last night became a naked human boy this morning. **He gingerly removed his hand from Kaidoh's lips, sitting back and stretching nervously. "Um..." he asked, glancing around the room, "Do you have clothes?"

**Kaidoh was still completely dumbfounded. He snapped out from his little trance, cheeks rosy, and managed to find him a t-shirt and clean boxers for the time being. He handed them over and looked away.**

The kitten-turned-boy pulled them on swiftly, making sure not to trap his tail. "I guess I should start with introducing myself... I'm Jirou. And you're Kaoru, right?" he asked, tilting his head. **Kaidoh nodded, gulping. **"I got it right," he said happily, before making himself focus. "Um... so that kitten you saw was me. And I transformed. I know it might be a bit much to swallow, but there are people who can do that. I'm one of them." He waved his tail. "I'm sorry for startling you like that—I'd never meant to change out, but I let myself relax a little too far..."

**Kaidoh hesitantly approached the bed and sat down again. His cheeks burned as he remembered just how much affection he had shown for this strange boy—nuzzling him, petting him, talking to him, kissing his nose... He shook his head and hissed softly. "I... had no idea."**

Jirou sat beside him and what followed was a very pregnant silence. After about five minutes of not speaking, the cat-eared boy made himself ask the question weighing on his mind. "Do you like me any less now that you know I'm not entirely a cat?" Clearly, he had been remembering the past few weeks as well.

**He glanced up, seeing the innocent face gazing at him intently. Kaidoh was certainly uncomfortable, to say the least. "I don't know..." he answered, rubbing his head. He definitely needed to get used to this.**

"Oh... well, think on it for a while then. I need to sleep." He blinked and yawned tiredly, exposing slightly-sharper-than-normal teeth and fell back on the bed, pulling the blankets over him and promptly dropping off.

**_I need to do my morning training anyway..._ Kaidoh shook his head uneasily and got dressed. This had all happened so fast and he was having trouble processing it. The kitten was a human... the human slept with him... he showed mass amounts of affection to the human who he thought was a kitten... His head hurt trying to piece it all together. He took his run and went to school like normal, grateful for the distraction.**

* * *

**He spent the day collecting his thoughts and finally arrived back home later that evening. It was at that moment that he realized that, kitten or not, Jirou must have been starving. Kaidoh rushed up to his bedroom to see if the strawberry-blonde stranger was okay.**

Jirou was propped up in bed with part of a piece of chicken in his mouth, and he looked up when Kaidoh walked in. "Oh, hi, Kaoru!" he piped. "I was hungry, so I got something, I hope you don't mind." He smiled.

"**No one was at home when you got it?" He heaved a little sigh of relief. He wasn't sure both his parents were at work that day, but he was surprised his little brother wasn't even home yet from school. Regardless, the boy hadn't died in a starving heap, which was good. Jirou, Kaidoh remembered was his name, seemed cheerful again (if he had even been upset at all from the morning's events).**

"No." His ears twitched at a slight noise downstairs, and his eyes went wide. "I think someone's home now though." Jirou glanced around from side to side for a hiding place before leaping off the bed and crouching. His body shrank, fur shot from his skin and whiskers from his face. Once more a kitten, he crawled under the bed and hid there. **Kaidoh couldn't help but watch the transformation with slight fascination. He'd get used to it. He ran back downstairs to see who was home.**

"Ah! Watch it, Kaoru!" Hazue yelped, having almost been run over. "Where are you going in such a hurry?"

"**S... sorry, you're so fast... I thought Mom or Dad was home." Kaidoh halted. "Aren't you usually home earlier than this?"**

"I took the long way home," he explained, "just because." Without further ado, the younger Kaidoh raced up to his room.

"**Hazue, is everything okay?"**

"Fine, worrywart," he laughed. "I have homework."

**Kaidoh smiled nervously and let him go. Noting the time, he figured his parents were probably going to work late today. He walked back up to his room and closed his door with a sigh of relief.**

Jirou wormed back out from under the bed, slowly growing larger. When his hands appeared, he shielded himself as he transformed the rest of the way, leaning and shuffling for the borrowed clothes. "Is he gone...?"

"**It was only my little brother. He'll probably stay in his room all nigh..." his voice trailed. His parents were working late—he'd need to make some supper for himself and Hazue! "Uh—are you still hungry?"**

"Not really—I gorged myself." Jirou pulled on the boxers, turning them backwards so he could thread his tail through the hole in the front. He sat down on the bed and eyed Kaidoh. "So... did you think about my question this morning?" His cheeks tinged slightly pink and he glanced away.

**Kaidoh gulped at both statements. There was probably nothing in the fridge now, he imagined... He shook his head. "I'll be alright. Just... might take a little getting used to."**

Jirou bounced in place happily. "Thank you so much!" He kept his voice low, but the excitement was still there.

**Kaidoh hushed him and tried to keep him still for a moment. "I need to go make supper, be right back." He exited and knocked on Hazue's door. "Hazue, what do you want to eat?"**

"Umm... anything would be fine." The younger boy chewed the eraser of a pencil, utterly focused on his work.

**Kaidoh just decided to make something simple. (Thank goodness, he didn't like cooking.) He went to the kitchen, prepared some ramen, and delivered a bowl to his younger sibling before taking his own and closing himself in his room again.**

Jirou was laying on the bed, eyes closed. His ears jerked and he opened his eyes when the door opened and closed. "Mm... Kaoru?"

"**You fall asleep fast," he commented softly, sitting down on the bed and eating his noodles contently.**

"I'm part cat, silly," he murmured, yawning. He leaned over and eyed the food with bright eyes, apparently still hungry.

**Kaidoh noticed him and blushed a tiny bit. "I asked if you were still hungry..." he looked down at his bowl, but sighed and offered it to him. He could never say no to a cat, no matter how human-like it was.**

"Thank you!" he said sweetly, bouncing a bit and licking his cheek affectionately. Then he remembered that he wasn't a cat at the moment and blushed. "Um... sorry..." Subdued now, he picked up the bowl and ate.

**The black-haired boy blushed brightly and quickly left the room to keep from hissing. He deliberately took a long time preparing himself another bowl, using the last of the noodles and other assorted ramen accessories, then returned with a tired sigh. "Was it good?" he asked softly, taking a bite of the fresh bowl.**

"Mhm." Jirou stretched and yawned, half-fangs glinting in the lamplight.

"**I hope you've had enough... I might have to go back to the store at this rate..." he muttered, glancing over at Jirou. His face tinted a little pink again and he resumed eating his late supper with a soft, cooling hiss.**

"You're not part snake, are you? All that hissing..." he trailed off, regarding him with a curious face.

**Kaidoh looked back at him. Nobody had ever been curious as to WHY he acted like a snake before. "Um... no, but I use a lot of snake shots in my games..." He nodded at the duffelbag with the rackets in it.**

"Oh. Just a tic then?" he said, crawling over and investigating the bag.

"**I guess so." Kaidoh continued to eat the ramen, watching the boy carefully.**

Jirou blinked up innocently, head tilted. He leaped on the bed and promptly curled into a ball, knees tucked under his chin and tail draped over his arms. "I like it." He smiled wide, then closed his eyes.

**He flushed again, hissing softly with his usual shyness, and finished off his bowl.**

Again, the transformation—the peach-colored kitten crawled onto Kaidoh's knees and laid down there, evidently tired but not very warm.

**The viper set the dish aside and noticed the kitten again. It occurred to him that Jirou would be naked after each transformation. That could get awkward—well, not like it wasn't already. "I haven't even showered yet and you want to take a nap now?"**

In response, he rolled on his back and pawed the air idly, wide brown eyes staring into his face. Jirou mewed softly—if kittens could grin, he would be doing so right now.

**He looked shyly to the side. "I'm going to need to give you a bath soon too... and I'd prefer to do it while you're a kitten, but I don't want you getting scared..."**

Jirou turned back over and kneaded his thighs nervously, tiny claws piercing the boy's thin pants and pricking the skin. He didn't like water.

"**Hey, easy, that hurts... I just don't want to do it when you're a human because..." he winced and turned red again.**

The kitten stopped, nestling his head between his paws. He knew why.

**Kaidoh sighed and carefully leaned back, gently hoisting the kitten onto his chest. _I'll just have to shower in the morning, I guess..._**

Jirou closed his eyes, looking as content and happy as a kitten could look.

* * *

When he woke up in the morning, Kaidoh was still asleep. Jirou reluctantly got off of him (pleased to note that he didn't accidentally transform in his sleep again) and padded to the bathroom, pawing the door open and then shut. Had you been awake in the room, you would have heard a slight rustling sound and a squeak of protest, followed by a stream of running water.

**Kaidoh woke up as well shortly afterward. He grunted and sat up tiredly, noticing the running water and waking further in alarm. He quickly relaxed when he heard the splashings in his own bathroom and not the guest one in the hall. But Jirou had acted so nervous the previous evening, and above all, Kaidoh needed to get his own shower before he got ready for school, since getting clean would definitely cut his daily routine of morning training. He knocked gently on the door. "Jirou...?" he whispered.**

There was a sharp squeak of surprise. Feet pounded and the door was thrown open, a skin-colored blur bolting from the bathroom and leaping on Kaidoh's bed, curled up. The blur resolved itself into a naked and dripping Jirou, who was eying the water with terror.

"**Jirou, are you okay?" Kaidoh asked, approaching the startled boy cautiously.**

"Y-yeah, I'm f-fine," he stammered, fearfully staring at the open door still. Why, oh WHY did he make himself take a shower when nobody was there with him? He'd felt like he was about to drown...

**He knelt down, keeping his eyes on the small face before him, and gently moved some of the slippery peach-colored strands out of his eyes. "You can't even take a bath as a human?" he asked in a hushed voice.**

"I fell into a river once. I guess the fear just... stuck." Jirou seemed to relax at the touch. "Will you... take it with me next time? It's easier if I know someone else is there with me." His cheeks turned a nice rogue color.

**Kaidoh's face was just as bright, but he continued to pet the boy's soft head. "I'm sorry about your accident... but I'll get in with you next time... Right now, I really need to get ready for school, but I'll be back this evening, and tomorrow is the weekend," he encouraged softly.**

He felt like tearing his own throat out. This person was still practically a stranger, and here he was asking to bathe with him? Yet, at the same time, Jirou felt like he'd known him his whole life. He stretched down and snatched up his discarded boxers, pulling them on his wet body and sitting up, shaking the liquid from his body. "Okay... I'll be here, then."

"**Will you be okay by yourself again?"**

"Yup," he said cheerfully, rocking back and forth on the bed.

"**You're making my bed wet," he muttered helplessly, sighing and going into the bathroom to get cleaned up. Jirou had tracked a lot of water out of the tub—Good grief, what had happened to the innocent little kitten that didn't cause any trouble the other night? He was starting to run late, so he decided he would just clean it up when he got home. Kaidoh got bathed, put his uniform on in the bathroom, and grabbed his bag. "Behave, I'll be home soon."**

Jirou pouted. "I'll be good, you know I will," he grumbled half-heartedly before falling on his side, back to Kaidoh while he took a catnap.

**He gently pet Jirou's head again, smiling a tiny bit, and quietly left the house.**

* * *

**Kaidoh was exhausted by the time he returned home. He made it up to his room, dropped his bag, and fell back onto the empty space of the bed. The viper's hands undid the green bandanna around his black hair.**

Jirou woke up, sticky with sweat. "Chasing butterflies is so much fun," he purred happily, tail swishing excitedly.

"**Butterflies...?" he glanced at him questioningly.**

Jirou rolled over and grinned at him. "I went outside today. I found some butterflies and chased them." He looked like he was about to burst from glee.

"**Outside? Where? The backyard, I hope." Kaidoh was a little startled. _He hadn't really gone out and run in his boxers, had he? Oh right, he can turn into a kitten too..._ He shook his head for being stupid. He at least HOPED it was the kitten that had gone outside.**

"Yes, silly, I didn't leave the premises." Jirou laughed quietly and asked, "How was your day, then?"

**He relaxed again. "...Good... exhausting..." he murmured. He had actually worried a lot about Jirou too, after the little shower fiasco, but said nothing of it, since the boy seemed happy again. Kaidoh realized he didn't need to worry too much; Jirou was capable of recovering in a short period of time. He smiled softly.**

"What did you do? Play your game?"

"**Yeah, I had practice today... A lot of math homework too, but I did that during lunch so I could enjoy my day off tomorrow. Even then, I'm still tired."**

"Take a nap?" he suggested with a shrug of the shoulders.

"**What I need is a shower, but it may as well wait..." he yawned and allowed his eyes to drift some.**

Jirou thought this over before laying close to him, enough so that their heat mingled. His heart beat gently—now he felt safe, and he hoped it would relax the other boy. Petting his head always seemed to make him drowsy... Jirou ran his fingers through the other's hair, untangling the stuck-together strands with gentleness.

**His cheeks were soon burning again. He opened his eyes, finding Jirou even closer to him and trying to pet him to sleep. He swallowed and tried to close his eyes again. "...That feels nice..."**

The cat-boy settled down, fingers still twined in Kaidoh's hair, and placed his free arm across his chest, closing his eyes and burrowing his face into Kaidoh's neck. Was trying to put Kaidoh to sleep having the same effect on him? He suddenly felt really sleepy...

"**...Jirou?" He blushed, the soft and warm wisps of breath caressing his neck.**

There was a sleepy groan. Why was it so hard to stay awake? "Mm... Sorry... Shower?" he asked quietly, sitting up and shaking himself into awareness.

**He hesitantly sat up on his elbows and agreed. Kaidoh finally got on his feet and entered the bathroom. Most of the water had dried from the floor, but he cleaned up what was left and ran the water again for a late evening cleansing. He started to undo the buttons on his school uniform while the water heated. **Jirou crept into the bathroom with him, door creaking as it shut. He locked it, just in case. **Kaidoh almost jumped, having completely forgotten that the other wanted to be with him. Once again, his face colored and he nervously took his uniform off before stepping into the heat. He was instantly alert again.**

It was so hard not to just flat-out stare at him. His body was beautiful, nicely toned. Secretly, he wished that he could have a musculature like that. Jirou snapped himself out of his trance and stalked hesitantly towards the shower, waiting and fidgeting at the edge for a few moments before finally leaping into the spray.

"**See, it's not so bad," he consoled, keeping his eyes on the peachy hair and avoiding eye contact or anything further below. He felt really uncomfortable, but at this rate, trying to get away from him would only make the boy miserable. Thus, he stayed put, not even covering himself (even though he would have really preferred to).**

Jirou turned around, his back facing Kaidoh. Each droplet stung like a hornet, evoking the old phobia—his fists were clenched tight at his sides and he shook, tail twitching agitatedly as he used every ounce of his self-control to stay put and not bolt hissing from the room. He whimpered softly, shoulders hunched. At least, he thought, at least Kaidoh was there, and would save him if he went under.

**The viper saw Jirou's tension and pity took his heart. Apprehensively, he reached his arms out to hug him, but withdrew them, then reached out again and enfolded him in a gentle hug. "It's okay... you're safe..."**

Jirou mewled quietly in response, slackening in the warm, strong grip. He melted into the kind touch, wishing he could turn around and hug him back, but not wanting to cause further discomfort. Suddenly, the water was only water and not a storm of bees, or a blinding chaos of noise and blue-white.

**Kaidoh nuzzled his hair a tiny bit, remembering the fuzziness of the kitten's head. At this point, both were very adorable and he couldn't decide which one he liked more—the cute, innocent kitten or the adorable, friendly human. The small body in his grasp settled down and he attempted to remove his arms.**

"Don't," he murmured. "Please..."

**The tiny voice caught him by surprise, but he obliged him and kept the secure embrace around him. He was very red now, and he felt his stomach start to hurt, but he paid no mind to any of it.**

Jirou closed his eyes and let the water rinse him, not really aware of it because he was entirely focused on the feel of Kaidoh's shielding arms around him. He knew nothing else—at least, until the water turned freezing cold and he jumped about three feet with a shrill yowl. The peach-haired boy darted from the shower and huddled in the corner, not scared, but certainly shocked.

**Kaidoh snapped back into reality himself and quickly shut the water off with a painful wince. He got out of the stall and got carefully near Jirou. "Are you okay?"**

"Fine," he laughed, "That was just unexpected." He snagged a towel from the rack and dried himself thoroughly, fluffing his hair before putting his sparse clothing back on. He exited the bathroom and hopped on the bed.

**Kaidoh smiled and touched his stomach, then dried off as well, having to use the towel the other boy had used. He put his pajamas on and finally curled up on the bed as well.**

"Kaoru...?" Jirou asked softly, eyes troubled.

"**What's wrong?"**

"I'm sorry I forced you into that..."

"**Don't worry about it. You were just nervous."**

"...Do you like me?"

"**What? Of course I like you." He flushed, uncertain on how Jirou meant it.**

Jirou smiled excitedly and crawled over to Kaidoh, wrapping his thin arms around the other's back. "That's good. That's really good. I like you too, Kaoru."

**He smiled softly. "I'm glad..." He wouldn't know what to do if his one and only kitten didn't like him very much.**

Jirou gently pulled at Kaidoh's shoulder to roll him onto his back—a peach-colored kitten clawed its way up onto his chest and nestled his head under his neck, purring loudly.

**He cradled it lovingly and pet its sweet head again. "You're a good boy..."**

The black-haired boy was rewarded with a soft lick—Jirou made himself comfortable against Kaidoh's pulse and fell asleep, hoping to all gods that he could stay this way forever.


	3. Sniffed Out

_It's alive!_

_Bold text is Kirby's, not-bold text is Drago's._

* * *

**Kaidoh slept in that next morning. He still cradled Jirou's body against his own, still dreaming of Inui in his place. He soon fluttered his eyes open at the bright rays of sun glistening in the window, and found soft peachy hair under his chin again. As he woke up, he pondered about taking Jirou to the park, maybe the zoo on his day off, waiting patiently for the small cat boy to wake up.**

Jirou was fast asleep, still dreaming about butterflies and other small, assorted things he could chase around. Just as he got to the part where a warm dish of milk started floating in the sky, he woke up. Blinking his eyes open, he yawned and shook his fur out, mewing softly.

"**Good morning," Kaidoh murmured softly, smiling. He gently pet the kitten's head, ears threaded between his fingers.**

He nuzzled up to the hand and purred, kneading the shirt and skin lying beneath it with his tiny claws.

**He winced and carefully sat up, placing the animal on his blankets. "How would you like to go for a walk today? We can go to the park or the zoo, or wherever you want to go."**

Jirou continued to purr, nearly bouncing with excitement. He reminded himself that he couldn't switch to his other form until Kaidoh's family left, so he made himself rein it in a bit.

**The viper stood and searched his drawers for a beanie or something soft to cover the smaller boy's head. He succeeded, finding a lime-green and purple one Eiji had given him as sort of a joke. Eiji liked beanies for some reason, he noted, but he was thankful for it. He searched the closet for something small enough to accommodate little Jirou. Kaidoh heard the front door shut faintly and decided his parents had left for work. He was certain Hazue was still sleeping.**

Jirou heard the front door go as well, and began to shift into his human form, sitting with his legs hunched up and smiling at Kaidoh. "I like the park. So many things to chase and look at. It's almost always new every time!" His tail swished happily.

"**Well, I don't know if you should do that in public... I mean, I wanted to take you out because I thought you might like some fresh air and..." Kaidoh rubbed his head. He had forgotten all about that! He was almost afraid to let his kitten play so freely, worrying terribly about its safety. But there was a playground, and Jirou as a human was just small enough to play on it. Maybe that would amuse him.**

"I don't like hats, they hurt my ears... I'll just be a cat. I won't mind. And I promise to stay close." He smiled, looking content.

**Kaidoh fidgeted. "Not even a soft beanie?" he coaxed softly, turning to face him with the knitted hat held nervously in his hand.**

Jirou took it hesitantly and pulled it over his head. A few moments passed, then he winced. "They always tickle like crazy too..." Shaking his head vigorously, he dislodged the hat and put a hand up to smooth and rub the pointed ears.

**He frowned and put the beanie back in the drawer. "I'm a bit worried to go out with only a small kitten... I'll need to keep a constant eye on you since you're so small in that form... I don't want you getting hurt is all." His cheeks turned pink.**

"I'll stay with you, I won't run off! I promise!" He rocked from side to side, smiling.

**He hesitantly sighed before finally smiling and laughing a bit. "Alright, I'll let you be a kitten, then." He shook his head and pulled off his bedclothes, finding a new set to wear for the day.**

Jirou laid back on the bed and purred. He tried not to watch Kaidoh's muscle rippling under the skin, out of courtesy, but he couldn't help tracing the lines a few times with his eyes before rolling on his side. **Kaidoh dug around in the grocery bag from a couple of nights ago. "Would you at least wear a collar, so I won't worry so much?" he asked softly, holding up a tiny blue collar with a bell on it.**

"Okay," he agreed, closing his eyes. A moment later he had shrunk down and grown fur and was watching Kaidoh intently.

**He smiled and tenderly buckled the small cord around the tiny neck. It made him look cuter than before, especially with that silver bell jingling with every twitch the kitten made. Kaidoh picked up the kitten gently, made sure Hazue was still asleep, and left the house quietly, locking the door behind him.**

Jirou reached up a hind leg and scratched at the collar, trying to get at the skin under it. It itched a little bit, but he expected to get used to it. He looked around at the bright green trees and the birds and smelled the air. He always liked it, but now it seemed more special with someone to share it with. The kitten looked back at Kaidoh's face and, unable to smile at the moment, let out a soft, inaudible purr.

"**Do you want to walk? It's a pretty long way to the park from here," he offered gently.** Jirou nodded as best he could, padding at Kaidoh's hand.

**The viper set his hand down on the concrete, allowing the kitten to crawl off of it, then walked beside him at a pace they both could enjoy. At long last, the two reached the park—a beautiful green morning landscape, with other small animals on leashes already playing. A few children were swinging about on the playground, playing in the sandbox, or dancing around the little water spouts.**

Jirou glanced around nervously, checking for dogs. When he confirmed that there were none, he proceeded to gleefully bound about the grass, ears twitching for the sounds of crickets or grasshoppers to play with, making sure he was within Kaidoh's line of sight.

**Kaidoh smiled and took a seat at a nearby bench. It wasn't long before a dog-walker came by, and the corgi on the leash grew fascinated when it saw the little kitten. The woman scolded the dog and tried to pull it away, but the corgi managed to get close enough to sniff Jirou. It wasn't violent and it happily gave Jirou a small lick. Kaidoh sighed in relief and sat back down (as he had stood up when the dog approached). Finally, the lady left and the pudgy dog barked its carefree goodbyes.**

Jirou, relieved that the dog wasn't going to try to eat him, meowed back at the corgi. A cricket-noise came from nearby—turning towards it, Jirou hunched down and zeroed in on the source, eyes locked on the green insect. **After about an hour or two of frolicking, Kaidoh beckoned Jirou over to him. It was time for lunch, and he figured the kitten must have been starving. He still wished he could take him around as a human, but maybe he would be able to later. "Jirou, would you like to have sesame chicken for lunch?" he asked. Kaidoh had wanted to say orange chicken, but wasn't willing to risk the boy getting offended.**

He jumped up and down a little bit, running as fast as his kitten legs could carry him. He gave a mighty leap and sank his claws into Kaidoh's pants legs, then clawed his way up to the boy's shoulder. After the long climb, he nuzzled his head up against his neck and chin, purring. **Kaidoh winced at the small pricks, but relaxed when the cat was comfortable. **_**That was so sweet**_**, he thought, smiling. "Hang on, okay?" he whispered, taking slow steady steps to avoid jostling Jirou.**

Jirou laid down and dug his claws into the shirt, clinging to his shoulder. He watched a butterfly wander lazily across the sky and resisted the urge to get on Kaidoh's head to jump at it.

**The junior bit his lip and continued walking, stopping by a small Chinese restaurant to pick up the meal for him and his cat. He even got some just for his little brother. By the time he got home, Hazue was in the kitchen, looking for something to eat. Kaidoh quickly set Jirou down on the stairs and approached his brother before the other could leave, offering him the box. "I got you some orange chicken, is that okay?" His heart raced.**

"Where were you all morning?" Hazue asked curiously, accepting the meal.

"**Out running, like always." He hissed softly. "Sorry, did I worry you?"**

"Oh." The younger Kaidoh opened the box and murmured a thank you to his brother, going up the stairs to eat. Jirou immediately made his way to the bathroom and hunkered down in a discreet corner, waiting for him to pass.

**Kaidoh jumped again, heart in his throat. The kitten was now missing and Hazue was headed in his direction. Quickly, he looked around the corners and crannies. "Jirou?" he whispered quietly, hoping not to raise Hazue's suspicions any further.**

The kitten peeped around the door to the bathroom and made a quiet chirruping noise, eyes flicking side to side.

**He scooped him up into his arms and scuttled back to his bedroom. "That was close... you're safe now." He finally remembered to breathe again and grabbed the food bag, unhooking the collar and allowing Jirou to transform back so he could eat properly.**

He did so, slinking under the bed halfway through to get his borrowed clothing and putting it on with hands that were half paw. He took up the box and sat crosslegged on the bed, sniffing at the food. When he decided it smelled absolutely delicious, he took a bite. Chewing thoughtfully, he murmured, "...Sweet..."

**Kaidoh smiled, eating from his own box. "I'm glad you like it. I wasn't sure if you'd like spicy or not, so I didn't get anything spicy." He contently ate in peace for a bit. "Anything you'd like to do after lunch?"**

"Grasshoppers are spicy," he commented, "when they're old enough." Jirou wolfed down the rest of the food, checking his face for any sauce. "Mmm... I don't know."

**The viper gently swiped a drop off of his chin with his thumb. He pondered for a bit, finally putting both cartons in the bag and tying it up. "Well, there's not a whole lot you can do as a kitten..."**

"I know..." Just as he was trying to figure out what he could do, there was a knock on the door. Jirou jumped. "Kaoru," he whispered urgently, "should I hide?"

**He nodded quickly. Kaidoh shut his bedroom door and bolted to the front, opening it with a pant.**

Inui was leaned casually on the doorframe. "Good morning, Kaoru," he greeted pleasantly. "May I come in?"

"**Ah... Inui, I wasn't expecting you. Um... sure, you can come in." Suddenly, his heart was beating rapidly again.**

"You sound nervous... is something the matter?" he asked, coming inside and shutting the door behind him. "Could it have anything to do with why you weren't running at the park this morning?"

**His expression and heart froze. "N... nothing's the matter. I just... uh... since when do you watch me train on the weekend?" he hissed quickly.**

"You're avoiding the question. And I don't watch you train, I just happened to know your schedule and happened to go to the park today."

**Kaidoh fidgeted, avoiding eye contact as best he could. "I took today off..." Inui would never believe that, and he knew that too. He kicked himself for being so bad at making excuses.**

"Mm..." Inui sounded thoroughly unconvinced. "I have my suspicions, but I'm sure you had a good reason. May I come upstairs?"

**Kaidoh swallowed and prayed Jirou was safe under his bed. He nodded shyly, slowing his pace upstairs when he realized the bag of cat food was still on his dresser and the collar was still on his bed. What had he gotten himself into? He carefully opened his door, eyes downcast.**

Jirou heard the door open and burrowed further into the wall, sheltered under Kaidoh's dresser. He had dragged the collar with him and he was kneading it anxiously, tiny heart beating at a thousand miles a minute. Inui, noticing the bag on the dresser, walked over and eyed it curiously. "What's this, Kaoru? Are you planning on getting a cat?"

"**Uh... sorta..." he flushed, heart skipping. It was bound to come out any second now. Kaidoh was solely worried about his promise to Jirou. In another way, he was worried as to what Inui would think, skipping exercise to take care of an independent animal.**

"'Sort of'?" One eyebrow cranked up. "Elaborate, please." Behind the dresser, pretty much at Inui's feet, Jirou cringed and slunk back into the wall.

**He couldn't elaborate. With a reluctant sigh, he finally spilled. "I'm sorry, Jirou... Inui-sempai, I found a kitten and he wanted to come home with me... but my family is allergic, and I told him I wouldn't tell anyone about him..."**

Jirou closed his eyes in defeat. Oh well... Inui cocked his head and studied Kaidoh curiously for a moment or two before asking, "So... where IS the kitten?"

**Kaidoh got on his hands and knees. "Come here, Jirou..." he said hesitantly. **The kitten crawled out from under the dresser, meowing regretfully. **The junior pulled him up into his arms, hushing him soothingly. "Jirou, this is Sadaharu... he won't hurt you..." He shyly offered him to Inui.**

Jirou couldn't see Inui's eyes, and it scared him. The closer he got to the taller boy, the more he trembled, until he eventually ran the length of Kaidoh's arm and nestled to his shoulder, eyes wide.

Inui withdrew slightly. "I don't think he likes me..."

"**Be nice, he's my best friend," Kaidoh coaxed. If he couldn't keep the secret that he had a cat, he at least wanted good terms to be held with the only other person who knew. Especially with Inui... someone sweet as he was... "Ah—Inui, can you keep a pet?" he asked. Then he froze. The words had been said, and he had forgotten all about Jirou's human side. "Um... forget I said anything, please..." His cheeks burned bright.**

"As you wish." Inui held out a hand for the kitten. "Here, here... What was his name, Kaoru?" Jirou hesitantly stuck out his nose and sniffed the fingers.

"**Jirou," he reminded patiently. He wanted to tell Inui and ask his permission again, but he bit his tongue, deciding to get Jirou's direct permission first. It would be beneficial if the kitten stayed with him because Jirou wouldn't have to hide and Kaidoh could come and see Inui more often. Kaidoh very much wanted that.**

"Here, Jirou," he purred quietly, making soft clucking noises with his tongue. Jirou eventually batted one of the fingers, then, deeming it safe, slowly crawled onto his hand.

**Kaidoh smiled when the two made peace. It was endearing to see his sempai take gentle hold of the kitten, who was starting to relax against his senior's chest the longer he was held.**

Inui smiled. "He's very sweet, Kaoru." Jirou couldn't help purring in the warm grip, but he knew it wasn't Kaidoh.

**He nodded. "He really is..." After a while, noticing that Jirou had fallen asleep, Kaidoh gently took the kitten into his arms and placed him on the bed. "Inui, please don't tell anyone about him, okay? It's our secret..."**

"Not even Momo?" he teased gently. "I'm kidding," he added when he saw Kaidoh's expression darken. "I promise I won't tell anyone."

**Relieved, he murmured, "Thank you, Inui-sempai..." Kaidoh shyly put his arms around Inui's trunk and gave him an appreciative hug.**

Inui wrapped his arms around Kaidoh and gave his forehead a light kiss. "No thanks needed." Jirou, in a state of bleary half-awareness, watched them with a mildly curious stare.

**He buried his head into Inui's shirt and relaxed with the gentle heartbeat, then pulled away. Kaidoh didn't want to be rude, but there wasn't much he could do to invite Inui to do at that hour of the day. Besides, he was hesitant to leave the kitten alone just so he could go hang out with a friend. "Inui-sempai, did you want anything else?" he asked carefully.**

"Nothing, I was just worried about you." He tilted his head and regarded Kaidoh with a strange expression. "Even now, I still think you're hiding something... but it could just be me." Jirou's heart skipped. This person was very intuitive, whoever he was.

**Kaidoh swallowed and shook his head. He couldn't hide his nervousness very well, but he bit his lip again and reminded himself to get permission from Jirou first. "I'll tell you if something's bothering me, I promise," he said quickly.**

"We both know that's probably not true, but I'll let it go for today." Giving Kaidoh's cheek a peck and Jirou a last pet, he turned to leave. "See you tomorrow, Kaoru."

**The younger boy escorted him out and waved. When he disappeared, he heaved a great sigh and returned to his bedroom. "I'm sorry, Jirou..."**

The naked boy was sitting on his bed again, looking downcast. "It's fine. He doesn't know about... this—" he gestured up and down his human body—"so it's okay, hm?" Giving Kaidoh a small smile and an interested look, he asked, "Who was that, anyway?"

**He swallowed again. "Well... I wanted to talk to you about that..."**

"Oh?" Jirou swayed side to side, eyes fixed on the viper's face.

"**Jirou, I'm hoping you'll grant me just one favor... You see... I'm getting really nervous hiding you, and... I think we should tell Inui about your human side and ask him to take care of you. You won't have to hide, and I'll probably come home with Inui as often as I can to play with you and stuff..." A glimmer of hope shone in his eyes. "But if you don't want to, that's fine too."**

Jirou made a humming noise while he thought. "I don't know... he smells a little like dogs... but if I'm causing you too much trouble..."

"**No, no, you're not, it's just..." he sighed. "I really want to keep you, I love taking care of you... but I think you'll be happier somewhere where you don't have to be alert constantly. But if he smells like dogs, then I guess it can't be helped, huh..."**

"You never noticed what he smelled like?" Jirou giggled. "Do you know if he has a dog, though? And you still haven't told me who he is!" The boy bounced on the mattress a little, excited by the new information.

**He doesn't have one as far as I know... I'm sure he would have told me, since I like cute anim—" He cut himself off, cheeks flushing. He hissed softly and sat down by Jirou, keeping his eyes off the small frame. "Inui Sadaharu, he's our team manager, basically. He helps me with some of my techniques and likes to play doubles with me. He's really smart, too... he has notebooks filled with all sorts of stuff..."**

_Cute animals? _Jirou felt a sudden swell of pride. "What kinds of things, do you know?" He leaned on Kaidoh's side.

**Kaidoh turned bright pink again. "...Certain patterns in our games, odd quirks about us... he has all sorts of information on our team and other teams... It's almost scary how much he has. And he studies a bunch too, I've never seen him get below the highest grade on any assignment."**

"Mm. Sooo... you want me to live with him?"

"**I would appreciate if you did, but I won't make you," Kaidoh said gently. "Inui's very sweet, and he wouldn't let any harm come to you."**

"You seem close." Jirou smiled. "I'll try, but if I don't like him, I'll run all the way back to your house. His glasses are creepy."

"**Very close. Don't worry about the glasses—in truth, he has really pretty green eyes that he's only let me see intentionally."**

"I'm almost jealous." Jirou gave him a rueful smile. "You must feel really special. But then, I have you, so I feel special too." The grin widened.

**Kaidoh smiled, blushing and gently petting his head. "I wonder if he would feel special for having both of us." He chuckled lightly to himself.**

"He didn't save me from a dog, you did," he pointed out, smiling. "He's not the same as you are." Jirou put his arms around Kaidoh and nuzzled up close to him.

"**I'm just saying," Kaidoh laughed. Hesitantly, he embraced the other, keeping his arms close to the boy's upper back. He had never felt so open with another person before, and he wondered if it was the cat ears doing that. It was actually kind of enjoyable.**

The skin-on-skin contact made his heart jump. Jirou mewed quietly against the cloth, smiling. "Ne, Kaoru... do you know how long it's been since I got here? I've been having so much fun that I've forgotten..."

"**A few days, I guess..."**

The redhead leaned up and rested his chin on Kaidoh's shoulder. "I've liked being here a lot..."

"**I'm glad to hear that." He smiled softly, petting him again. "I hope you'll like it at Inui's... I think my parents were starting to get suspicious too... And I promise I'll come and keep you company as often as I can."**

Jirou smiled. "Hey... will you give me a kiss? Like he did for you?" His eyes flicked to Kaidoh's face.

**There went his composure. His face burned brightly, very glad for once that Inui hadn't kissed him on the lips. He certainly wasn't going to do that. Kaidoh swallowed, very slowly inching down to lightly peck Jirou's cheek.**

He purred contently, heart thumping rapidly. Jirou paid it no mind and leaned up to do the same for him. "Thank you, that was nice..."

**His heart had all but stopped. This boy was going to kill him just like Inui had when they had first begun dating. Once again he was the shy little garden snake beneath his viper appearance. He shook his head and quickly snapped out of the trance. "Y... you're welcome... I'm glad you liked it."**

Jirou gazed up at him, a happy look on his face. "Mm... I'm going to sleep..." So saying, he became the kitten and curled himself up next to Kaidoh's thigh, deep purrs rumbling in his tiny body.

**Kaidoh pet him once more, then quietly left his house as the afternoon wore on.**

ABC

**There was a small shop in the business district that sold all sorts of cute little objects and accessories, intended mostly for cute teenage girls. The viper looked around, making sure no one saw him, and slipped into the shop. **

**It was a surprise for the shopkeeper, certainly, but she paid it no mind, thinking he might have been getting something for a girlfriend. Kaidoh looked on the wall with the various cat-ear accessories, smiling when he found a little beanie with hollowed ears attached. That would be perfect for Jirou! He carefully picked it up and admired it.**

The door to the shop jingled. The newcomer paused and stared at the boy on the far end, not quite believing what he saw. When his brain had finally unfrozen, he nearly laughed. "Hey, Kaidoh!" Eiji called gleefully, sauntering over, "What a surprise!"

"**Eh—?" Kaidoh jolted and quickly hid the hat behind his back, expression shocked. "K-Kikumaru-sempai... what are you doing here?" A cold sweat beaded on his skin.**

"What am _I_ doing here?" He chuckled. "What are _you _doing here, nya?" he asked, trying to peek around the boy to see what he was holding.

"**Don't avoid the question!" He turned quickly with Eiji's motions to keep him from seeing.**

"Okay, okay," he relented, grinning. "I was passing by and I thought I saw you in here, so I got curious."

**Kaidoh reddened. He should have taken off the bandanna. He hissed softly, unable to think up an excuse.**

"Sooo~?" Eiji prodded, rocking on his heels and trying not to smile too hard.

"**So what?" He took a step back and tried not to squeeze the hat.**

"So why are _you_ here?"

"**I... I thought I saw a cool-looking bandanna..." Nice save, he praised himself. Eiji couldn't be suspicious if he was looking for a new addition to his collection.**

Eiji raised an eyebrow and grinned. "Nice try, nya. Really, why are you here?"

**So much for that attempt. "Nothing, really!" Kaidoh hissed irritably and backed up again. Some viper he was, backing away when a cat-like sempai was interrogating him.**

"I'll let you get away with it just this once," Eiji sang, ambling away. "See you!" And out the door he went.

"**Dear Lord..." He groaned and placed the hat on the counter, face steaming with embarrassment. Finally, he managed to escape after purchasing it and dashed back home.**


	4. Cafes and Relocation

_Oh gosh. It's back. With this plot that seems to be going nowhere but it actually is. Trust us. _

* * *

"For me?" Jirou beamed and held the cat-eared hat up for examination. "It's perfect! Thank you, Kaoru!" he bubbled, poking a finger into one of the hollowed-out ears.

**"Will you put it on and see if it fits comfortably?" Kaidoh couldn't help but smile at the boy's fondness over it. He had chosen well! And now he could take Jirou out to do more things in town! Er... well, Inui could take him out more... That was okay. He was sure he would be going with them. Inui was by no means selfish. He took a seat beside the peach-haired boy, resting his hands on his kneecaps with subtle eagerness.**

Jirou nodded and pulled the hat on, flicking his ears up into the little holes. He could hear perfectly well, they didn't hurt his ears, but they did tickle a little bit. He smiled. It was absolutely perfect. His tail was much easier to hide; now he could walk around with Kaidoh around town... Or with that Inui person and Kaidoh, rather.

**"It looks very cute, Jirou." He drew the boy into a light, gentle hug, his cheek nuzzling the fleece tenderly.**

The redhead purred happily and loudly, snuggling into his arms. "So what did you want to talk about with me?" Kaidoh had mentioned something when he came in looking red... But he had insisted on the hat first.

**Kaidoh pulled away, blushing again. "Since you're going to be living with Inui... We need to tell him about your human side. Will that be okay...?"**

Jirou rocked back and forth, humming. "I don't know... It's sort of supposed to be a secret. You're the only person who knows..."

**"Jirou, please... I really want you to be happy, honest I do... and I promise you'll be okay with him..." He sighed and looked down at his knees. He thought he had explained this to Jirou earlier...**

He hugged his knees to his chest thoughtfully and fell silent. After a long while, he shrugged. "Okay... But he can't tell anyone."

**Kaidoh took his shoulders reassuringly, giving him a gentle smile. "I can safely guarantee he'll keep your secrets..." **He gave Kaidoh a soft smile and a quiet purr in answer. **"We can get settled in tonight, if you'd like..."**

"Whenever is good."

**Kaidoh smiled and hugged him again. "Come on, why don't we go enjoy the rest of our afternoon?"**

"Where?" Jirou smiled and bounced slightly, eager to be going anywhere with Kaidoh.

**"Around town, maybe get you some clothes, maybe a couple of toys... Some dessert, perhaps?" He rose, finding his wallet and remembering he still had some of his allowance left over. Thank goodness, he WOULD be able to treat Jirou! But after that he would be completely broke again.**

His eyes brightened. "I do need some clothes... yours don't fit me very well. And dessert sounds fantastic!"

**He smiled and let him get changed into what he had before sneaking out of the house with Jirou close behind. They entered the business part of town, where all sorts of stores and restaurants lined the streets, and let the cat boy lead the way.**

Jirou gazed around with wide, interested eyes before wandering over to a random shop. He heard Kaidoh follow him in. The cat-boy proceeded to look around at all the clothes with curious eyes, trying to find something that would both fit him and cover his less human bits.

**The Seigaku regular stayed close to his side, doing his best to help the other coordinate something to match. When they gotten a couple outfits together that fit Jirou comfortably, Kaidoh proceeded to check out and followed Jirou out the doors with the bag in his hand. Normally he would have been embarrassed by this—for some reason, it didn't register at the moment. Jirou was eager and overjoyed, and that alone put a smile on the junior's face.**

The smaller boy was dressed in one of the new outfits. His tail was slipped down the leg of a pair of easy, comfortable jeans, ears hidden under the cap, and the loose t-shirt flowing like silk over his skin. "Thank you," he purred to Kaidoh, giving him a sweet smile.

**"No problem..." he whispered shyly. "Where would you like to go next?"**

"I'm hungry... Can we find something to eat?"

**"Sure. Something sweet?"**

"Anything."

**He nodded, heading over to what appeared to be a simple dessert shop. It seemed nice until a couple of girls in French maid outfits approached them with a curtsy and a "Welcome home, masters!" **

**Oh crap. It was one of those cutesy maid cafes. Kaidoh would have died right there if the waitresses hadn't started cooing over how irresistibly cute Jirou was before getting the boys seated.**

Jirou couldn't stop staring at their dresses. From what he knew, nobody wore those around in public... He was trying to figure out why they were wearing them. Thus embroiled in his ponderings, he failed to notice just how uncomfortable Kaidoh was.

**"Jirou, don't stare," Kaidoh hissed softly. He ordered them both a milkshake so the girls would hurry up and leave, which thankfully, they did. He sighed in relief. If only they could just walk out now... Jirou seemed too fascinated though.**

He blinked. He still hadn't figured out why they were wearing those costumes, so logic said the quickest way would be to ask. "Kaoru, why are they dressed like that?"

**"It's a maid cafe. The girls dress like maids and serve people to make them feel like they're at home or something like that. I don't like coming into places like this," he hissed again, quietly.**

"Oh... Should we leave?"

**He was about to say yes—until he noticed an orange-haired girl and a familiar patch of spikes from the back that he loathed. If they left now they would surely be caught by Momoshiro, his most hated enemy. He shook his head. "We came for a milkshake, and we'll have one. I'm sure it's delicious."**

Jirou settled in his chair and purred. "Okay..." He kept himself entertained in his wait by observing everything about the cafe. Human eyes weren't as good as cat eyes, so there was a lot less to see, but it definitely helped his patience.

**"If you see a toy or something in here you really want, I don't mind getting you it."**

"That's okay... I can play with just about anything. A scrap of paper or string or ribbon... as long as it's moving."

**He smiled again at his cuteness. "Well, if you do see something you really want, I mean. You don't have to worry about it."**

"Mm." Jirou smiled at him, eying the milkshake when it came. He picked it up and pulled at the plastic top off, lapping at it like cream. "Delicious..."

**If it weren't for that cat ear hat, Kaidoh would have asked him to stop. Still, it wasn't utterly uncommon for a cute boy to do a cute thing in a (more or less) cute-intended restaurant. He could probably work there, if he wanted. Kaidoh smiled and stuck a straw into his glass, drinking the cool, chocolately ice cream with delight.**

When he couldn't reach the drink with his tongue anymore, he tipped it upward and slurped it down happily all in one go. The elation of the taste lasted for around two seconds before he laid his head on the table in pain and groaned, rubbing his temples. "Oww..."

**"Ah—you shouldn't do that with ice cream..." He reached over and pet his head awkwardly. "It's meant to be enjoyed slowly, so you don't hurt yourself."**

"Right," he whimpered. The headache boiled out eventually and he sat there with his hands at the sides of his head.

**Would you like something else?"**

"No thanks." Jirou picked his head up off the table and purred idly, still looking around the area.

**Kaidoh nodded, finishing off his shake and giving one of the waitresses the check. He had almost forgotten about his arch nemesis as he stood and beckoned Jirou over. "You look a little tired. Let's go ahead and get your things over to Sadaharu's, okay?"**

Jirou nodded and stood with a stretch, yawning catlike. Out of the corner of one ear, he heard someone call, "No way, are you kidding? Viper?" It was followed by a laugh.

**Dear God. Kaidoh heaved a sigh, glaring over to the side where Momo's back used to be. What he saw was Momo leaning over the edge of his booth and grinning up a storm, Ann across from him and curious as well. Every curse word that came to his mind didn't even begin to cover how furious and mortified he was. He hissed, pulling Jirou's wrist briskly out of the cafe.**

Jirou allowed himself to be led away, watching over his shoulder. "Kaoru, he's following us..." He watched the boy and girl get up and jog over to them. The girl seemed to be tugging on the boy's wrist, like she wanted him to stop.

**Kaidoh hissed furiously and halted, turning back to glare at him. "I don't want to talk to you. Leave me alone."**

"What's the matter? I just wanted to say hi." Momo grinned. "So... what were you doing in a place like that?" Ann gave Kaidoh a pitying and apologetic look behind Momo's back before staring curiously at Jirou. He smiled nervously and waved.

**"We were just getting a snack. It was an accident we walked in there."**

"Oh." Momo caught Ann's dangerous look and relented. "So... Who is she?" he asked, turning his attention to Jirou. Jirou didn't know who he was talking about, but gazed back at him.

**Kaidoh groaned. He didn't really think Jirou was a girl... did he? "Uh... she's my... uh..."**

The penny finally dropped. "She? I'm a boy..." Jirou piped up quietly.

**Momo would never let him live this down. "You're such a tomboy! She's my—girlfriend!" he nudged Jirou lightly in the side, kicking himself for thinking of girlfriend first.**

Momo raised an eyebrow and was about to ask a question before Ann elbowed him in the ribs and tipped her head towards a shop with a look that was not negotiable. He blinked and decided not to mess with Kaidoh anymore, instead turning and following Ann away. Still, Kaidoh flustered was worth a month of unanswered questions.

Jirou heard Kaidoh sigh in relief when they went their own way and looked up at him. "Sorry... were they not supposed to know?"

**"Jirou, I'm just happy he's too dumb to see that you're clearly a boy. I already get enough hassle from him when I'm with Inui." He rubbed his forehead a moment, then pet Jirou's head affectionately.**

"Oh." Jirou smiled at the soft touch. "Should we get back?"

**"Mm." He walked forward, heading back towards his house. With stealth, he got them both inside, then wrapped up the few articles for Jirou's stay. With that finished, he asked Jirou to change back into a kitten, then collected his clothes and picked him up onto his shoulder. "Ready?" **The cat gave a little mew in response and nuzzled his cheek with his head. **Kaidoh smiled affectionately, petting him again before creeping out of the house one last time.**

* * *

Inui securely locked the door and fixed his eyes on Kaidoh. "Okay, Kaoru. What was it you wanted to show me?"

**"I made mention of it yesterday, but... I need to ask you a big favor. Do you think you could take care of my cat...?"**

"Of course I can, you know that. Is there anything else?"

**"Well... the thing you said I was hiding..." he was a little more awkward now. He tenderly set Jirou down on the floor. "If anything, you have to keep this part a secret, please." Kaidoh motioned for Jirou to take on his human form.**

Inui watched with fascination as a lanky, medium-height boy with cat ears and a tail grew out of the kitten form. A hand that wasn't entirely human yet shielded his lower regions from sight, and in less than a few minutes, he was standing at full height and completely naked. Kaidoh handed him a pair of shorts and he quickly put those on. Inui adjusted his glasses. "Well. This is certainly unexpected," he said calmly. Jirou wasn't sure how to take this.

**"I was surprised too—but Sadaharu, please keep our secret, please?" Kaidoh took Inui's hands and looked up at him worriedly. "I promise he won't be a problem, and he's very sweet, and—"**

"Calm down, Kaoru. You have my word that I will not tell anybody about him." He gave Kaidoh a smile and petted his shoulder before going over to Jirou to curiously look the ears and tail over, lightly running a finger along the pointed shape. Jirou twitched it away because it tickled, but otherwise stood very still while the taller boy paced around him, observing. "You must excuse me, Jirou, it's just that I've never seen another like you and I want to know everything there is to know about you." Jirou relaxed in answer, not really wanting to speak.

**"Ah... don't spook him, Inui..." Kaidoh fidgeted quietly, slowly calming himself down.**

Jirou purred softly to reassure Kaidoh. Inui nodded and sat down on the bed. "Jirou, if you're going to stay here, you'll have to share a room with me. Do you mind that?" Jirou shook his head, but didn't move from the spot.

**Kaidoh approached him cautiously, giving Jirou a comforting hug. "It's okay, you can talk with him... He won't hurt you, I promise." He spoke in a hushed voice.**

Jirou snuggled into him and purred. "Okay... Promise you'll come back often?" Inui busied himself with unpacking Jirou's things.

**"Absolutely. I'll come over after every practice if it's okay with him. And I'll stay as late as I can, too."**

"Mm..." Jirou let him go and turned to Inui, swishing his tail lightly. "Well... what should I do?"

Inui glanced at him before saying, "If you haven't had a bath, perhaps you should get one?" Jirou flinched and looked at Kaidoh.

**He blushed. That was an odd question for an even more awkward situation. Kaidoh had to shower with Jirou; Jirou was going to be living with Inui. Each chapter of this cat saga became more and more complex for the poor viper! He hissed softly, looking to Inui for his input.**

Inui shrugged. Jirou made up his mind and said, "Okay..." He put on a brave face and went over to Kaidoh briefly to whisper into his ear. "I'll try... I'll just imagine you there." To Inui, he asked, "Where's the bathroom?"

Inui pointed down the hall and said, "Be careful." Jirou nodded and slinked out the door quietly.

**Kaidoh swallowed, taking a step after him in worry—but he stopped and prayed for the best. Jirou needed to learn to take care of himself, being a cat and all... He turned back to Inui and sat beside him, leaning on his shoulder warily.**

Inui pet his shoulder. "You're worried, aren't you? He probably isn't a huge fan of water."

**"I've been showering with him to keep him relaxed..." he whispered.**

The older boy raised an eyebrow. "...Has it worked?" **Kaidoh nodded shyly, cheeks red. **"And I suppose I can assume that I can't do the same for him. The person matters."

**"Well, you could try... I mean, if he's still having problems and you don't mind, that is..."**

"The question is whether or not he minds, and I'm willing to bet that he does."

**...Mm... You're right..." he sighed softly, closing his eyes and nuzzling the shoulder. It had actually been a long time since he'd had some alone time with Inui... he savored every bit of it.**

Inui reached up and stroked his head. "I've missed you."

**"I've missed you too..." Kaidoh nuzzled him gently, taking Inui's free hand and lacing their fingers together. It was clear all this had been stressful on the younger regular.**

"You look like you've had a long day. What all happened?" he asked, squeezing his hand lovingly.

**"Just... keeping him hidden, and... ran into Momo today..."**

"Say no more." Inui gave him a soft smile.

**Kaidoh smiled and looked back up at him. He leaned up a bit, giving Inui a shy peck on the lips.**

Inui kissed him back gently, pulling away after a few seconds. "Mm... So, do you think you should check on him soon, just to see if he's alright?"

**He snapped out of the slight trance and gave him a nod, slowly rising and going to the bathroom. He knocked on the door. "Jirou? Are you doing okay?"**

His voice was strained and high with slowly-growing panic. "I'm fine!"

**Kaidoh waited a moment. "...I'm coming in, alright?"**

"That's okay," he called back, trying not to let his voice break. His knees were drawn tightly to his chest and his tail was wrapped around his feet. He had to keep his eyes open to remind himself that the water wasn't flowing and wasn't loud at all, but otherwise, he felt like he could have a heart attack any minute.

**Kaidoh hesitantly twisted the knob and came in, his heart breaking when he saw Jirou huddled up in the corner of the tub. He kneeled down, spreading his arms for Jirou to come to him. "Why didn't you call for me if you were still having issues?"**

Jirou sprang out of the water and hugged him tightly, calming down against his warm body. "I... I wanted to do it myself... because you won't be here all the time..."

**"I'll be here in the evenings, and I'll need a shower after practice... or you can ask Inui, I'm sure he wouldn't mind..." He hugged the boy close, worrying about him all over again. Poor kitten; poor Jirou! He was so vulnerable and defenseless...**

He sighed. "Not every day... I can do this, I know I can. Please?"

**"...If you'll be okay by yourself..."**

"I'll be okay." He smiled against the now-wet shirt. "I am a cat."

**"You hate water though," Kaidoh smiled lightly, still concerned. **

"I'll just have to work around that. If all else fails, I can always lick myself clean."

**"Mm... you're right..." he finally let him go and gave him a smile, offering a towel to the small boy.**

Jirou shook his head and hesitantly slipped back into the water, cringing as he went. Kaidoh's presence was calming, though, and he eventually found the strength to relax and even start washing his limbs.

**He winced but forced himself to stay back. He had to let Jirou overcome his fears on his own. In the very back of his head somewhere, he noted that his need to give attention to the cat boy would eliminate alone time with Inui for a very long time. Having two loves was troubling at times, came his minor thoughts. Kaidoh didn't mind it though.**

He purred softly and flicked his tail out of the water, resting it on the edge while he leaned down to wash his legs. The stretching was very soothing to him; he felt pleasantly drowsy doing it.

**Kaidoh relaxed and sat patiently by the door, his gaze lowered at the floor and watching nothing. Jirou was okay as long as he was around...**

In time, Jirou finished bathing and hopped out, shaking his sopping tail dry with quick motions that flung water all over Inui's bathroom. He picked up a towel and dried the rest of the way off before turning around and surveying the mess. "Oops," he mumbled sheepishly.

**"Don't worry about it. I'll clean it up. Why don't you go get some sleep now?" he asked with a gentle hush.**

"Alright." Jirou smiled at him and slipped out of the bathroom, very nearly running straight into Inui. "Sorry," he whispered, remembering to keep his voice down in case one of Inui's family was around.

"It's okay," the taller boy said, glancing into the bathroom. "Kaoru, you know you're going to have to leave soon if you want to eat at your house."

**Kaidoh had already taken a towel and was soaking up the renegade puddles and droplets. He looked over his shoulder and halted a moment, finally rising to his feet and putting the damp towel near the hamper. "Sorry, I wasn't aware of the time... I'll leave since you want me to. It'll give you two some time to bond, I hope..."**

"Of course, you know I never want you to leave, but time with family is important." Inui smiled at him. "I'll help our friend set up."

**He smiled softly at his boyfriend's sense of morals. "One night wouldn't kill them..." But he gave him a farewell hug and a shy kiss on the lips before exiting the household.**

Inui saw him out, then took Jirou upstairs to get him acquainted with the upper levels. The redhead's scant possessions, aside from the ones he would use as a kitten, were safely hidden away in the back of a drawer in Inui's dresser. Jirou sat on the bed, a little awkward and not entirely sure what to do.

**"No need to be worried, Jirou." He smiled, trying to be friendly. He took a seat on the bed next to the boy, a good bit of space between them for comfort. "Why don't you tell me about yourself?"**

Jirou's heart gave a painful, slightly scared thump. He curled up and gazed at Inui. "Could... could you take off your glasses? Not being able to see someone's eyes is... weird."

**The senior chuckled, but willingly obliged him. This would be the second and last person outside of his family he allowed to see his eyes. He took the frames off, set them on his nightstand, and gave a friendly, green-eyed smile to the boy. "Is this better?"**

The redheaded boy looked up into the soft eyes. "Pretty..." he said softly before uncurling.

**"See? I won't hurt you." Inui turned to face him, legs drawn up beneath him. One step at a time, and Jirou would feel comfortable in his new home. "So what did you like to do when you were living with Kaoru?"**

"Mmm... I just played outside when he was away. There wasn't a lot to do, but it was still fun."

**"Should I perhaps buy you some toys tomorrow?" Inui asked, analyzing Jirou's feline parts again, and then his human body, taking special note of anything out of the ordinary.**

"That would be nice..." Jirou purred, tail coming around to encircle his waist lazily. He was warming up to Inui slowly; anybody that Kaidoh knew couldn't be bad.

**"Mm. I'll be sure to do that then." He really wanted to be writing in his notebook about the interesting creature, but he held still and didn't do anything to alarm Jirou any further. "I'm curious... since you're part cat, are you at all colorblind?"**

"I don't know... Could we find out?" Jirou looked up at him.

**"We could." He went to his dresser, pulling out a bandana Kaidoh had accidentally left a few weeks ago. It was a deep maroon color and he showed it to him. "Do you know what color this is?"**

"Red... But isn't it too dark?"

**"Mm. It's a darker shade of red. That's very impressive—a normal cat can usually only see blue, yellow, and green. You're an extremely intelligent creature." Inui smiled and put the bandana back in its drawer.**

Jirou laughed slightly. "I'm not just a cat, I'm a human too."

**"I'm aware." Inui nodded, placing his finger to his chin and admiring Jirou again. "If I may ask, where did you learn how to speak and such? Did Kaoru teach you at all?"**

The boy shook his head. "I picked it up walking around..."

**Inui marveled in delight. "Very impressive indeed... And it's so fluent, too..."**

"Thanks..." The cat-boy curled up, tired from the long day.

**He decided he'd worn him out with his questions and allowed him to settle down. He pulled the blanket over him, took his glasses, and situated himself at his desk to write down the fascinating finds on the strange boy. You could never have too much data.**


End file.
